Why do you need protein? Protein, which is found in fish, poultry, meat, dairy, and some grains, is essential for muscle repair and the complete maintenance of your body. It makes hormones and helps your immune system. It can also help you shed pounds. Here's why. Protein requires more energy to digest than carbs and fat, so you actually burn more calories eating it. Protein also helps preserve and build lean muscle tissue while you trim down. And muscle burns more calories than fat - even while you're just sitting on your bum watching television.
If your body doesn't get enough protein and important essential amino acids daily, it takes what it needs from existing muscles. That means you're actually losing valuable fat-burning tissue! Protein-rich foods also help to slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. This keeps your blood sugar levels consistent, which helps suppress hunger. Now do you see why it's so important to eat protein at each meal? Luckily, you can choose from lots of different foods - just watch out for meats with excess fats.
Chicken, turkey, salmon, and white fish are perfect, low-fat choices. But steer clear of duck, which has a high fat content, and choose only very lean cuts of beef and pork. Most grocers have select prime cuts, and though they're usually more expensive, your heart and body are worth it. Salmon is a great protein option because it contains omega-3 fatty acids and various B vitamins, vitamin D, potassium, and selenium. It's also low in mercury - a key fact when shopping for fish. Others in that category are haddock, cod, tilapia, sole, most shellfish, and canned albacore tuna. Swordfish, king mackerel, and shark have a high mercury content and should be eaten in moderation.
The media has given eggs - specifically their yolks - a raw deal by blaming them for high cholesterol.Yes, they do contain it, but if you have normal cholesterol levels and limit your intake of other fats, you can safely eat an egg a day. For those with high cholesterol, eat no more than four eggs a week. Egg whites are a great source of protein with no saturated fat, and I think there's nothing better than a veggie-packed egg white omelet. I would definitely recommend this as your order of choice at a restaurant for breakfast. Something else I love is making a batch of hardboiled eggs on Sunday and having them in the refrigerator all week to grab and eat.
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